


Love ya, Ma

by NextTrickAnvils



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Gen, spoilers for the whole game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-07-02 15:03:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15798987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NextTrickAnvils/pseuds/NextTrickAnvils
Summary: Little moments between Ryuji and his mom from her point of view





	Love ya, Ma

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by a tumblr post about Ryuji's mom seeing the final calling card and recognizing his voice despite all the alternation. I really liked that headcanon, decided I wanted to write about it and it sort of blew up into this. Hope ya'll enjoy.

** **

**MAY 2nd**

Manami Sakamoto never liked Suguru Kamoshida. Something about him made her think of her ex-husband every time she saw him. Ryuji wasn't shy with his own feelings about the man either and that certainly didn't improve her opinion.

_"I think he's trying to kill us. One of my friends almost passed out thanks to his freaking "training.""_

_"Everyone says I'm imagining it but I swear he keeps looking at the girls in class with this creepy expression on his stupid face."_

Then came the day when she was called to Shujin and was told all about how her son attacked Kamoshida and that the boy's broken leg was an accident. Kamoshida claimed that it was only self-defense.

Manami apologized to Ryuji for not doing enough as a mother. But she also made sure her son knew she didn't buy that "self-defense" story for one second.

Maybe all of that was why it didn't shock her as much as it should have when she hears the news at work about Kamoshida confessing to abusing his students.

When she arrives home, Ryuji walks out of the kitchen to greet her. Instantly, Manami drops her things and pulls her boy into a hug.

"M-ma? You okay?"

"...I saw the news today. He's gone. That horrible man is finally gone."

Ryuji immediately realizes who she's talking about and returns the hug.

"That's right, ma. Kamoshida finally got what he deserved."

Manami isn't sure why but she hears bit of pride in Ryuji's voice.

\--------

** JUNE 10th **

Ryuji is obviously in a foul mood when he comes home.

Manami tries to ask him what had happened and all he says is, "Eh, school trip kinda sucked. That's all."

She can tell that there's more to it than that but decides not to pry.

Ryuji's mood improves as they're making dinner. He talks about his friends and the hot pot meal they're planning for tomorrow.

Soon they sit down to eat as Manami turns on the TV and the mood sours once again.

_"...in a televised appearance today, famed high school detective Goro Akechi announced his cooperation with Tokyo police in investigating the existence of "The Phantom Thieves of Hearts" a group who some believe to be behind the confession of disgraced artist, Ichiryusai Madarame."_

"Stupid smug asshole prick." Ryuji muttered

"Ryuji!"

He winces at her tone of voice, "Sorry ma."

Ryuji pokes at his food as he glares at the young man on the TV.

"I just... can't stand him! He acts so goddamn high and mighty like he's sooo much better than everybody. Everything about him screams "fake." Not to mention he's making the Phantom Thieves sound like bad guys! We're-"

"Sweetheart, calm down. You're getting awfully worked up about that boy. And what's this about the Phantom Thieves?"

Ryuji has a look on his face like he had just said something he shouldn't have.

"Ryu?"

"I... I know a lot of folks don't believe in them but I do. ...W-they're helping people, people who would have gotten screwed over otherwise. Then that bas- jerk, Akechi, comes along and says what they're doing is wrong. That they're just as bad as the criminals and they should be jailed."

Manami is tempted to point out that this group is running around calling themselves "The Phantom Thieves" but decides against it. Instead, she picks up the remote and turns off the TV.

"I get the feeling that talking about this is just going to get you more upset. Why don't we change the subject?"

\--------

** JUNE 20th **

_"Yo! Ryuji here, I can't answer my phone so leave a message, 'kay?"_

Manami bit her lip as she hung up the phone. 

Normally she wasn't one to get paranoid, she trusted her son to not get into too much trouble while he was out.

But normally Ryuji answered his phone when she called. Normally he'd let her know if he was going to be out late.

"I'm being ridiculous. He's probably at a movie or somewhere else where he had to turn off the phone."

...Maybe one more phone call...

***Ring***

***Ring***

_"H-hey ma. I... uh... saw the missed calls."_

Manami sighed in relief, "Please tell me you're alright."

_"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm on the train home now so... I can explain when I get there. Love ya, ma."_

"Love you too, Ryu"

Five minutes later, Ryuji came home and explained that a friend of his got herself in trouble.

"...But she's fine now, she's better than fine."

"What do you mean by that?"

"...Uh... just uh... she kinda figured some stuff out 'bout herself is all. She's still got some... more stuff to work out but me and Akira and Ann and Yusuke are gunna help her out."

Manami sighed and accepted the explanation, at least for now. She places her hands on Ryuji's.

"Well I'm glad to hear thing's are okay. Just... please be more careful..."

"I will. Sorry I worried ya."

\--------

** JULY 28th **

Manami is on the train home when she gets a call from Ryuji. He sounded... upset.

"Sweetheart, is everything alright?"

_"Y-yeah, everything's fine just... just..."_

"Ryu?"

_"I love ya, ma."_

She blinks and stares at the phone.

"O-okay?"

_"I know it's outta nowhere but some stuff happened and I-I..."_

Now Ryuji sounded like he was on the verge of tears. Which only made Manami more worried.

"Ryuji, what happened!? Is someone hurt!? Did **you** get hurt!?"

The other people on the train were starting to stare.

_"No! No! It's nothing like that! Just... with everything going on... I just... I want you to know that I love ya... and you're the most important person in my life. That's all I wanna say."_

Manami isn't sure how to respond. Even with her son's assurances that nothing's wrong, she's still a little concerned. But for now all she can do is reply.

"I... I love you too, Ryuji."

\--------

** OCTOBER 11th **

She arrives home late and finds Ryuji on the couch. He looks like he had been crying.

"Ryuji?"

He lifted his head up and immediately started to wipe away his tears. Manami quickly takes a seat next to him.

"What happened? Weren't you having a party with your friends?"

"...We were... but then something happened. Something really bad."

Manami places a hand on her son's shoulder and gives him a sympathetic look, "Ryuji, I can't help if all you tell me is "something really bad happened." Please talk to me..."

Ryuji looks away from her and starts nervously bouncing his leg. Before Manami can ask again, Ryuji starts talking.

"You know that new friend I told ya about? Haru? During the party... we... we found out her dad died."

"Oh. Oh the poor dear..."

"Yeah... like... I mean... he was an asshole to her but he didn't deserve to die! Just... goddammit! It wasn't...! ARGH!"

Manami realizes there's more to the story. That there's something that Ryuji isn't telling her. But instead of asking him, she just pulls him into a hug and comforts him.

The next morning before he leaves for school, Manami tells her son that the next time he sees that Haru girl, to tell her that she's welcome to come over whenever she'd like.

\--------

** NOVEMBER 20th **

Ryuji had been quiet ever since he came home and Manami had a suspicion about why.

After all, the capture and later suicide of the Phantom Thieves' leader was all anyone could talk about today.

While she didn't really pay a lot attention to all the Phantom Thieves news over the year, she at least knew that her son admired them.

"Ryu... you know you can always talk to me."

He looked up from his meal and looked at her in confusion.

"I can tell you're upset about the news... with the Phantom Thief leader."

"...Oh."

Ryuji looks pensive for a moment then he smiles.

"It's fine... I still believe in 'em."

In that moment, Manami isn't sure if he's talking about the Thieves in general... or their leader.

\--------

** DECEMBER 12th **

It started out as a typical evening.

Ryuji texted her earlier saying that he was going to spend most of the evening with Kurusu-kun. So Manami went ahead and made some dinner. As always she turned on the news after sitting down to eat. 

But then...

_"Yo! What is UP everybody!"_

She looks over and sees the news broadcast replaced with static and a symbol of what looked like a red top hat and mask with the words "Take Your Heart" underneath.

_"We are the ones you all know as The Phantom Thieves."_

_"AND ALL OF US ARE ALIVE AND KICKIN'..."_

Wait... that voice!

"Ryuji!?"

_"...But those shitty guys in power? They've been manipulatin' information to try and hide the truth."_

The voice was obviously altered but Manami could definitely recognize it as that of her son's.

As the broadcast continued, Manami rushed over to where she left her phone and quickly tried to call Ryuji.

"Pick up! Pick up! Please!"

There was no answer but Manami kept trying to reach her son, the broadcast continuing in the background.

_"The man behind it all is a current cabinet member, of all things. The Minister of State for Special Missions: Masayoshi Shido!"_

Upon hearing that, she dropped her phone in shock. He was going after a politician!?

_"Everything that man says is a lie! And to prove that... Look! As you can see, all of us are alive and kickin'!"_

Manami just stares at the image on the TV screen. It doesn't take her long to figure out which one of the silhouettes is Ryuji. She looks at the others and it just occurs to her... all the friends he's made this year. Were they...?

_"We're not gonna sit back and watch some crook wreck this country just 'cause of his goddamn ego! Ain't that right... Leader?"_

The young man steps forward and speaks: _"Yes. Before that happens, we will take this country!"_

Despite the lighting and the close-up, she quickly realizes who the leader is. Manami picks up her phone from the floor and starts calling Cafe LeBlanc. But there's no answer from there either.

The broadcast ends and Manami starts to cry.

~

A few hours later and Manami is sitting on the couch. She was too anxious to sleep and all the news stations are talking about the Phantom Thieves and Shido's response which only worsened the anxiety.

She kept thinking back to any conversation she could remember for any kind of hint of her son's big secret. (After a while she realizes just how many she missed.)

Her train of thought is interrupted when she hears the apartment door open. Manami turns around and sees Ryuji; a couple of scrapes on his face but otherwise no worse for wear.

"Oh. Hi ma. Thought ya'd be asleep by now."

Immediately, Manami starts to cry again. Ryuji panics and sits down next to her.

"Ma!? What's wrong!?"

"Y-you're okay. Th-thank goodness y-you're okay."

"What? Of course I'm okay, studying sucks but it's not gunna..."

"Ryuji don't lie! I saw the video. I know you're one of the Phantom Thieves."

His eyes widen and tries to look away from her. Manami places her hands on Ryuji's face and makes him face her.

"How long?"

"...Since April."

"So... Kamoshida?"

"Yeah that was us."

"And that artist and that gangster...?"

Ryuji nods

"...Okumura?"

"No. We tried to change his heart for Haru but... someone else got him. Ma... I'm sorry I never told ya and I'm sorry I made ya worry."

Manami sniffles a little bit and pulls Ryuji into a hug.

"No more secrets okay? Please... tell me everything."

"Y-ya sure? It's a long story."

"I'm sure."

"...I love ya, ma."

"I love you too, Ryu."

With that, the two break their hug and Ryuji starts from the beginning.

**Author's Note:**

> For anyone wondering: the July 28th one is supposed to be right after Futaba's palace. With the idea of Ryuji wanting to talk with his mom after seeing Futaba having to say good-bye to hers.
> 
> Ya'll can find me on Tumblr @ http://nexttrickanvils.tumblr.com/


End file.
